In automotive vehicles, it is common to have a climate control system located within an instrument panel which provides heated or cooled air to occupants through dash panel defrost air outlets, instrument panel venting air outlets and floor directed air outlets. These traditional climate control systems often include a heater core that performs heat exchange between the engine coolant, which is heated by the engine, and the cool air in the cabin/outside environment, in order to provide warm air to the passenger cabin.
A vehicle dash panel defines a boundary between an engine compartment and a passenger compartment. Typically, the heater core is located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle in the HVAC case. An inlet pipe directs coolant from the vehicle engine to the heater core by a coolant pump. An outlet pipe carries fluid away from the heater core back to the engine. The inlet and outlet pipes connecting the heater core generally extend from the vehicle dash panel to the heater core in the HVAC case of the passenger compartment.
Sometimes the fluid in the inlet and outlet pipes is very hot. In some HVAC configurations, portions of the inlet and outlet pipes are exposed in the passenger compartment. As a result, a passenger may inadvertently come in contact with the pipes. Moreover, in the event of a fluid leak from the inlet or outlet pipes, the fluid may drip onto an extremity of a passenger such as a leg, foot or toe.